and the
first foundation for deserving good-will is, having it yourself. The
adversary of this orator at that time was AEschines, a man of wily arts
and skill in the world, who could, as occasion served, fall in with a
national start of passion, or sullenness of humor, which a whole nation
is sometimes taken with as well as a private man; and by that means
divert them from their common sense, into an aversion for receiving
anything in its true light. But when Demosthenes had awakened his
audience with that one hint of judging by the general tenor of his life
towards them, his services bore down his opponent before him, who fled
to the covert of his mean arts, until some more favorable opportunity
should offer against the superior merit of Demosthenes.

It were to be wished, that love of their country were the first
principle of action in men of business, even for their own sakes; for
when the world begins to examine into their conduct, the generality, who
have no share in, or hopes of any part in power or riches, but what is
the effect of their own labor or prosperity, will judge of them by no
other method, than that of how profitable their administration has been
to the whole. They who are out of the influence of men's fortune or
favor, will let them stand or fall by this one only rule; and men who
can bear being tried by it, are always popular in their fall. Those, who
cannot suffer such a scrutiny, are contemptible in their advancement.

But I am here running into shreds of maxims from reading Tacitus this
morning, which has driven me from my recommendation of public spirit,
which was the intended purpose of this lucubration. There is not a more
glorious instance of it, than in the character of Regulus. This same
Regulus was taken prisoner by the Carthaginians, and was sent by them to
Rome, in order to demand some Punic noblemen, who were prisoners, in
exchange for himself; and was bound by an oath that he would return to
Carthage, if he failed in his commission. He proposes this to the
senate, who were in suspense upon it, which Regulus observing, without
having the least notion of putting the care of his own life in
competition with the public good, desired them to consider that he was
old, and almost useless; that those demanded in exchange were men of
daring tempers, and great merit in military affairs; and wondered they
would make any doubt of permitting him to go back to the short tortures
prepared for him at